River Dell Varsity Girls Basketball Team battles to the end in Bergen County Tournament loss to Saddle River Day

The River Dell Golden Hawk Varsity Girls Basketball Team(11-4) pushed the nine-time defending Saddle River Day Rebels(13-7) to the brink of elimination in the first round of the Bergen County Tournament but ultimately ended in a 55-52 loss at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan in Old Tappan, New Jersey.

Alexa DePol tallied a game-high 15 points while Maddie Roth contributed 14 points, and Val Visconti added 12 points.

River Dell Head Coach Lindsay Steffner on the defeat, “We had a pretty good game offensively, our game plan was fine against our zone, but we had some defensive lapses, and they definitely capitalized on that.”

Regarding seeding, we were right there at 9 or 10, just in the mix with them. They were seeded low, and I’m not sure why, especially after recent losses to Glen Rock and Rutherford.

The Golden Hawks were off and running from the tip-off as Maddie Roth corralled a rebound off a missed jump shot, and Roth was able to stick the putback shot. Then Alexa De Pol caught fire from downtown, splashing two trifectas.

Meanwhile, Val Visconti dominated in the paint and low post and managed to convert a three-point play off a layup where Visconti got fouled in the process, which widened the River Dell advantage to 13-7. The Golden Hawks are doing a superb job of swinging the ball around the perimeter and finding the open player for either a layup or jump shot.

“I was really proud of the way we came out and had good matchups,” Head Lindsay Steffner explained. “Saddle River Day was a team very equal to us, and we matched their energy, and we made a run, and they answered every single time we put together a run.

River Dell led 17-11, but the Rebels responded with a 5-0 spurt to close out the quarter with Harper Cohn and Gabby Stewart each tallying five points apiece.

In the second quarter, scoring came to a screeching halt as both teams combined for 15 points. Saddle River Day carried over the momentum late in the first quarter over to the second as they jumped ahead, while the Golden Hawks went ice cold from the perimeter. By the time the teams reached their locker rooms for halftime, the Rebels held a slim 25-23 lead.

“I think we settled too much for the jump shots and I know our guards were trying to get the ball into Val(Visconti) for the high-low but give Saddle River Day credit they followed that pass and we struggled to get the post-entry.” “Normally we have a better shooting night and haven’t had an off-shooting night in a while.” “It’s unfortunate because one or two outside shots makes a difference.”

Once the third quarter commenced River Dell tied the game up at 25-25 on a jumper by Alexa De Pol. The teams engaged in a back-and-forth pendulum, with taking the lead. Saddle River Day led by Emily Mattson on fire, delivering ten points.

The Golden Hawks were able to muster more offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities, and they got out in transition and on the fast break. By the time the period ended, the game was tied at 40-40.

In the fourth quarter, River Dell seized control early on with a 6-0 blitz. The Golden Hawks are in a nice offensive flow, getting into the low block and paint for put-back shots, finding open space in the paint, and converting baseline jumpers.

However, Saddle River Day ignited a rebuttal behind the stellar play of Grace Darling, notching ten points as the Rebels surged ahead 48-44.

On a pair of occasions, River Dell cut the gap to two points behind the solid play of Maddie Roth with a putback shot off the glass, then went baseline for a layup. The Golden Hawks were unable to tie the game in the last minute, as outside shots did not fall. The Rebels were able to close out the game by hitting their free throws in the late stages.

We were a little too unselfish and passed up shots,” Steffner said. Defensively, they have some outstanding players who read our defense well and find open teammates whenever we try to help.

I hoped we’d play better outside on the perimeter, and to their credit, Saddle River Day played in a zone, even though we’ve played well against zones from Paramus Catholic and Ridgewood. If we had hit a few more shots, collected an extra rebound, one or two more free throws, and limited turnovers, the outcome might have been different. It’s tough to accept, but there is some moral victory, though I’d prefer a win.

The Golden Hawks return to action on Tuesday, February 3rd, hosting the Ramsey Rams (11-5, 2-3 Big North Patriot) on Girls Basketball Youth Night, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. at River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey. Back on January 6th, River Dell defeated Ramsey 62-48 at Ramsey High School.

I’m happy to play at home, and Alexa (De Pol) missed the first matchup due to illness,” Steffner said. “Knowing we played well last time, especially in the fourth, gives us confidence.

“My message to the team is that the sun is going to shine the next day. It’s not a big deal to be out of the county tournament. We gave it a good shot. Our focus is on the league championship, then the states. Everyone’s coming to beat us, and we don’t have anyone light on our schedule in the next few weeks. We have to keep playing as hard as we can to put ourselves in a position to win games.”

“Girls Basketball Youth Night is what it’s inevitably about and for the kids to see the girls as role models and seeing all the seniors and juniors, you have someone to look up to in this town and a big part of high school athletics.” “Staying in your hometown and playing with pride and showing the little kids as they come out and see us play hard and have fun.”

It’s a lot of fun getting support from Oradell and River Edge. Growing up, I was never offered something like this, but I came to every game and remember sitting in the stands as a kid, watching the boys and girls play. It’s great to see the bigger picture: the kids are part of us and hoping to get on that court just like our girls.